Control handle for toy airplanes



Dec 20, 1949 MEIS E 2,491,825

CONTROL HANDLE FOR TOY AIRPLANES Filed July 1, 1947 Fig. 2.

mm: 0 mmu Inventor Honare L. Meisrer Patented Dec. 29, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CONTRQL HANDLE FOR TOY AIRPLANES Honore L. Meister, Houston, Tex.

Application July 1, 1947, Serial No. 758,372

2 Claims. l

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in control handles for toy aeroplanes, more specfically, selfpropelled, captive-type model aeroplanes, in which the elevator, the rudder, orthe engine operation is remotely controlled by means of a pair of cords held by the operator.

In aeroplanes of this nature, the outer ends of the cords are usuall connected to a crank pivoted in the fuselage of the aircraft, so that by simultaneously pulling one of the cords and paying out the other, the actuating crank may be moved in the desired direction.

However, since the actuating cords are fixed to the crank or lever in the aircraft and therefore, the leverage cannot be adjusted in flight such as, for example, by attaching the cords closer to or further from the pivot or fulcrum of the lever, it was not heretofore possible to provide a variable remote control whereby the movements of the aircraft could be controlled either gradually or abruptly, as required by the particular conditions of flight.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the instant invention to provide a control handle which may be easily and conveniently adjusted, during flight if necessary, so as to facilitate change from gradual to abrupt control, and vice versa.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control handle which is simple in construction, which may be easily and conveniently manipulated, and which will not readily become damaged.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a control handle which will readily lend itself to economical manufacture and which is otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which it is intended.

With the above more important objects in view, and such other objects as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentiall of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention, showing the same in use and in association with a model aeroplane;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the invention per se, the same being partially broken away to reveal its construction;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional View, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the blocks used in the invention.

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Like characters are used to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying draws ings in detail, the invention consists of a con: trol handle designated generally by the reference character H3, such as may be conveniently and effectively employed in association with a toy aeroplane H including a. pair of remote control cords 22 which are adapted to actuate the ele: vators, the rudder, orthe engine operation of the aircraft.

The essence of novelty of the invention resides in the particular structure of the control handle it, the same embodying a convenient hand grip I3 which is formed with a pair of spaced parallel arms M reinforced by the "U- shaped channel members :5, as will be clearly apparent.

The members l4, it provide bearings for a rotatable shaft it which. in turn. is formed with a right-hand screw threaded portion and with a left-hand screw threaded portion I! and I8 respectively.

The shaft It is rotatably retained in position by means of a lock member ii) at one end. and by means of a crank at the remaining end, the crank 29 being provided with a suitable hand knob 72!, whereby the shaft l8 may be rotated as desired.

A pair of blocks 22, formed with screw threaded bores 23, are operatively positioned on the por tions H, I 8 of the shaft it, each of these blocks being provided with a protruding lug 24 formed with an aperture 25, in which one Of the afore mentioned cords l2 may be conveniently anchored.

It should be understood that when the crank handle 2! is rotated in one direction, the blocks 22 are drawn together, and when it is rotated in the relatively opposite direction, the blocks are drawn apart. In this manner, the distance between the cords i 2 (at the operators end) may be varied as desired, thereby decreasing or increasing as the leverage of the control with respect to the actuating lever (not shown) in the aircraft.

In other words, by drawing the blocks 22 together, small leverage will be obtained, whereby gradual control of the aircraft will be facilitated. On the other hand, by drawing the blocks apart, abrupt control of the model may be had. Needless to say, the gradual control is particularly useful during take-offs or landings, while the 3 abrupt control is of advantage when clearing obstructions or in stunt flying.

Referring again to the structure of the control handle, means are provided for preventing the rotation of the blocks 22 with respect to the shaft It, said means consisting of an eye 26 which is secured to each of the blocks and slidably engages a rod 21 secured in the members [4, 15 of the hand grip It, as will be clearly apparent. By virtue of this arrangement, rotation of the blocks 22 will be prevented, but at the same time, the blocks may be drawn together, or apart, b simply rotating the handle 21, as has been already explained.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of pants may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of a toy aeroplane, a pair of spaced control cords connected at one end to said aeroplane, a control handle, a pair of elements movable toward and away from each other on said handle and each having the remaining end of one of said cords connected thereto, and

means on said handle for moving said elements whereby the spacing of said cords may be varied.

2. An adjustable handle for control cords of toy aeroplanes, comprising a hand grip provided at its opposite ends with a pair of spaced parallel arms, a shaft rotatably journaled in said arms in spaced relation to said hand grip and having side portions provided with relatively opposite screwthreads, a pair of screw-threaded blocks posh tioned on and operatively engaging the respectivd side portions of said shaft, a rod extending be-' tween said arms in spaced parallel relation to said shaft, an eye protruding from each block and sli-dably engaging said rod whereby said blocks are prevented from rotating with said shaft, a protuberance provided on each block and having an anchoring aperture for a control cord, and means at least at one end of said shaft for rotating the same whereby the spacing of said blocks may be varied.

HONORE L. MEISTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,324,269 Placek Dec. 9, 1919 1,473,946 Amsden et a1 Nov. 13, 1923 2,220,199 Bible et a1 Nov. 5, 1940 2,401,193 Sabin May 28, 1946 2,404,922 Padgett July 30, 1946 2,453,571 De Barbieri Nov. 9, 1948 

